Formula Renault are classes of

formula racing Formula racing, also known as open-wheel racing in North America, is any of several forms of open-wheeled single-seater motorsport. A "formula", first devised by FIA for its post–World War II single-seater races, is a set of regulations for ...

popular in Europe and elsewhere. Regarded as an entry-level series to

motor racing An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gene ...

, it was founded in 1971, and was a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to higher formulas. Formula Renault at Silverstone 2008

Renault now backs the

French F4 Championship French F4 Championship, formerly known as Formula Renault Campus France, Formula Campus, Formul'Academy Euro Series, F4 Eurocup 1.6 is a form of open wheel racing founded in 1993 by Louis Drouet. It is based in France and aims at karting gradua ...

and

Formula Regional European Championship The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) is a FIA-certified Formula Regional, regional European Formula Three, Formula 3 racing series. On 12 October 2018, it was announced that the Italian autosport regulator Automobile Club ...

. The World Series by Renault once included Formula Renault 3.5 before becoming World Series Formula V8 3.5 in 2016, then folding in 2017.

Formula Renault 3.5L

The most senior "Formula Renault" was the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup started by

Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...

to run as part of Eurosport's Super Racing Weekends ( ETCC and

FIA GT Championship The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...

). Only two seasons were run between

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

before Renault left Super Racing Weekends and merged the series with the similar

World Series by Nissan The World Series Formula V8 3.5, formerly the World Series by Nissan from 1998 to 2004, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series from 2005 to 2015 and the Formula V8 3.5 in 2016 and 2017, was a motor racing series promoted by RPM Racing (1998–2004) and R ...

to create the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as part of the World Series by Renault in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

. In 2016 the series became the World Series Formula V8 3.5, which folded in 2017. Formula V6 Asia started in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

in Asia and ran at Asian Festival of Speed Weekends (

Touring Car Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. The ...

Formula BMW Formula BMW was a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It was positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category. Like Formula Ford, it was intended to function as the young ...

and

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Porsche Carrera Cup (sometimes abbreviated PCC) is a number of One-Design, one-make racing by Porsche premier series competed with, initially Porsche 911 Carrera Cup, then later Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. The cars are specifically built by Porsc ...

). The old Eurocup and current Asian formulas use Tatuus chassis, while the World Series uses

Dallara Dallara Group S.r.l. is the largest multi-national Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Giampaolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' M ...

cars.

Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...

is the tyre supplier.

The cars

* Engine:

Type V4Y RS, 60° V6, 3498 cc, 425-500 hp - since 2012 Zytek ZRS03 V8, 3396 cc, 530 hp * Chassis: Tatuus (Eurocup and Asia) or

T02/T05/T08/T12 (World Series) Carbon-fibre Monocoque, carbon and fibreglass bodywork * Width: 1850 mm (72.8") maximum * Wheelbase: 3000–3125 mm * Track: 1579 mm (front) and 1536 mm (rear) * Weight: 616 kg * Fuel: 110 litres * Suspension front and rear with torsion bar, push-rod, twin struts * Telemetry, and

steering wheel A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel, a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles. Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light and hea ...

Sequential gearbox A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox or sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly in motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditional sync ...

, six gears * Wheels: Single piece magnesium with central nut, 10 x 13 (front) and 13 x 13 (rear) * Tyres:

dry and rain, 24 x 57 x 13 (front) and 31 x 60 x 13 (rear)

Championships

A Pan Am Formula Renault V6 series was planned to take place in 2005 but it never occurred.

Formula Renault 2.0

Formula Renault 2.0 descended from Formula France created in 1968. Its predecessors used 1.3L (1968–1971), 1.6L (1972–1981), 1.6L turbo (1982–1988) and later 1,721 cc (1989–1994), then 2l 8V (1995–1999) engines in single-seater chassis. The series evolved in 2000 into a 2L 16V series using one-make cars from Italian manufacturer Tatuus. The series was introduced into the UK in 1989 and even after the 1721 cc cars had been replaced at the top level a club-level series for them continued in parallel with the more ambitious 2.0 series. This is seen as one of the key steps in a driver's career before

Formula Three Formula Three (F3) is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. History Formula Three (adop ...

. The most notable recent graduate of the formula is Kimi Räikkönen, who moved straight into

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

after winning the British Formula Renault championship.

The cars

1995–1999

The Formula Renault 95 used multiple chassis, production 2.0-litre 8V 165 hp engines and

Hewland Hewland is a British engineering company, founded in 1957 by Mike Hewland, which specialises in racing-car gearboxes. Hewland currently employ 130 people at their Maidenhead facility and have diversified into a variety of markets being particul ...

five-speed manual gearboxes. Manufacturers were able to build cars around spec components such as the engine, bellhousing, gearbox, brakes, wheels and ECU. Chassis were steel space frame with fibreglass bodies. Manufacturers included Mygale, Martini, Swift, Tatuus, and Ermolli. The car was last used in 1999.

2000–2009

The Formula Renault 2000 had a Tatuus-made chassis running 2.0 L

Renault Clio The Renault Clio () is a supermini (B-segment) car, produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consi ...

engines attached to a Sadev gearbox. The engine originally had a maximum output of 185 hp, and was upgraded to 210 hp in 2006. They are capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.85 seconds and braking from 200km/h (124 mph) to a stop in 4.60 seconds. The Tatuus Formula Renault car is the most successful single seater ever, with 10 years of service and nearly 1000 sold. The car has produced many current

stars, with 11 of the 25 drivers in the 2009 Formula One season using the car in the infancy of their careers. For the 2010 season, a new car developed by Barazi-Epsilon, will be used in most major championships, with the old car still being used in minor championships such as Formula Renault BARC in the UK.

= Dimensions and weight

= :''Wheel Base'': 2,645 mm :''Front Track'': 1,434 mm :''Rear Track'': 1,318 mm :''Minimum Weight'': 490 kg without driver / 565 kg with driver

= Chassis

= The chassis is a carbon fiber cell designed and developed by Tatuus and

Renault Sport Renault Sport () or Renaultsport, was a motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars and later a sub-badge of Renault cars managed by Automobiles Alpine, Alpine. The first Renault Sport was officially established ...

. It also incorporates a FIA-approved roll hoop and lateral driver's head protection. This was introduced in 2000 and updated with new bodywork in 2004 and 2007. Both the chassis and engine are of an FIA-approved "impact break-away" design.

= Cockpit

= : XAP Multi-Changeable Dashboard Display : FIA-approved Safety Features : Roll Hoop and Lateral Driver's Head Protective Padding : Deformable, double-jointed steering column : Removable steering wheel : Six-point, 3-inch driver's shoulder and lap harnesses : FT3 fuel cell : Manually operated 5 kg fire extinguisher

= Engine

= The engine is a sealed, 16-valve, 4-cylinder ''Renault Sport type F4R FRS'' with Orbisoud race exhaust system and catalytic converter, built and developed by

. :''Capacity'': 1998 cc :''Max Output'': at 6,500 rpm :''Max Torque'': 22mkg (159lb.ft) at 5,500 rpm :''Lubrication'': Dry Sump,

Elf An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...

Evolution LDX 5w/40 :''Spark Plugs'': NGK PFR6E10 :''ECU'': Sealed Magneti-Marelli MF4L ignition system

= Gearbox

= Formula Renault uses a Sadev 6-speed, sequential gearbox with mechanical control featuring three specified sets of ratios using a Limited Slip Differential and Twin-Plate. The clutch is hydraulic. It also uses Elf Transmission LS.

= Suspension

= :''Front'': Pushrod, controlled single damper with adjustable bump and rebound :''Rear'': Pushrod, controlled twin dampers with adjustable bump and rebound

= Brake

= The brakes are four-pot calipers, with ventilated discs and Ferodo(type DS4003) pads. They include cockpit-adjustable bias front-to-rear.

= Tyres

= :''Front'': 16/53 x :''Rear'': 23/57 x :''Manufacturer'':

control :Exceptions :''Asia'': Kumho (since 2002) :''Brazil'':

Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...

(2002–2006) :''North America'':

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

(since 2004)

= Wheels

= :''Front'': 8 inches x :''Rear'': 10 inches x :''Manufacturer'': OZ

2010–present

Manufactured by Barazi-Epsilon EB01 A Main changes to the previous models are: *Engine: 2.0L Renault F4R 832 - maximal output has been raised to *Gearbox is now 7-speed sequential

Championships

Two sorts of Formula Renault 2.0 championships exist. Regular championships and Winter Series, an off-season championship held usually between November and February with few races. In 2005, all series names were replaced from ''Formula Renault 2000'' to ''Formula Renault 2.0''. An Uruguyan 2.0L series is also held (José Pedro Passadores 2003 champion).

Winners

A majority of Formula Renault champions have gone onto lead successful careers in motor racing, most notably

Alain Prost Alain Marie Pascal Prost (; born 24 February 1955) is a French former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Professor", Prost won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and� ...

who won the

World Championship four times in his career. Other drivers include

Didier Pironi Didier Joseph Louis Pironi (26 March 1952 – 23 August 1987) was a French racing driver and offshore powerboat racing, offshore powerboat racer, who competed in Formula One from to . Pironi was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Cham ...

, Kimi Räikkönen,

Felipe Massa Felipe Massa (; born 25 April 1981) is a Brazilian racing driver, who competes in the Stock Car Pro Series for TMG Racing, TMG and in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Riley Technologies, Riley. Massa competed in Formula One from to , and w ...

and

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...

all of whom have gone onto win Grands Prix.

Formula Renault 2.0L timeline

Formula Renault 1.6L

This Formula Renault series was open to drivers between 14 and 21 years that have raced before in

karting Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...

series.

The cars

The cars use K4M 1598cc

engines.

Championships

Winners

*In Belgium 2007 championship, Karline Stala was the first ever woman to win a

single seaters An open-wheel car is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, Sports car racing, sports cars, Stock car racing, stock cars, and Touring car racing, touring car ...

championship. She was invited to test the Formula Renault 3.5L at

Circuit Paul Ricard The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has ...

in November 2007, like the best 2.0L and 3.5L drivers.

Formula Renault 1.6L timeline

Other formulas powered by Renault

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

organises several Formula Renault championships different from its official 2.0L series: * ''Fórmula Renault Plus'' (since 2007) with

K4M engine (1598cc). * ''Fórmula Renault Interprovincial'' (since 2007) with 1.397 cc engine from Renault 12 T.S Break. * ''Fórmula 4 Nacional'' (in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

) with Renault K4M engine (1598cc) with lower power than the official 1.6L series. Teams can choose chassis manufacturer. Races are held during the TC 2000 weekends. * ''Fórmula 4 Metropolitana'' (since 2008 season) with Renault K4M engine (1598cc) and replacing the Fórmula 4 Nacional series. Teams can choose chassis manufacturer. * ''Fórmula Super Renault'' with

Reynard Reynard the Fox is a list of literary cycles, literary cycle of medieval allegorical Folklore of the Low Countries, Dutch, English folklore, English, French folklore, French and German folklore, German fables. The first extant versions of the cy ...

, Ralt or

TOM'S is an automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, as well as a factory-backed racing team. The TOM'S head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. TOM'S most prominently produces aftermarket parts for current ...

chassis and

Renault 21 The Renault 21 is a large family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1986 and 1994. It was also sold in North America initially through American Motors dealers as the Renault Medallion and later through Jeep-Eagle dealers as the Eag ...

, 18 or F3R 2.0L engine. In 2005, the championship wasn't held due to low participation.En el 2005 no habra Super Renault
''autonoticias.com.ar'' (28 December 2004) In 2008, the ''Formula 2000 Light'' was created. The series is held in Italy with Tatuus's Formula Renault or

chassis. The same year also saw the introduction of the '' LATAM Challenge Series'', run in

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

. The ''Austria Formel Renault Cup'' has been held since

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

. This series is held and organised with the

Austria Formula 3 Cup The Austria Formula 3 Cup is an open wheel racing series based in Austria. The series has run since 1982 and regular visits such circuits as the Salzburgring and the Red Bull Ring in Austria, the Autodrom Most and the Masaryk Circuit, Brno Circui ...

and use the 2.0L Renault formulas. The ''Formule Renault 2.0 North European Zone'' was also introduced in 2008. 2008 was the first, and ultimately last, season of the ''Formula Asia 2.0''. Its aim was to bring more racing to the Asian region, allowing more drivers to opportunity to race and make the step up to the next level. The series used

engines with constructor Tatuus and ran on

provided tyres.

Winners

For GP Series winners, see

GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecc ...

, GP2 Asia Series and

GP3 Series The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and the ...

pages.

References

External links

*
Renault Sport